Mike Keyes Ministries Int.

Current update on this MKMI home building construction. Slowly but surely God will get it done paid in full ! No loan is taken for this project . "But GOD".. Who is the source of everything, He will supply the need, in Jesus Mighty name.

SEPTEMBER 23 DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Romans 1:16 - DON’T BE ASHAMED!

In this very revealing passage, Paul tells us why we should never be ashamed of the gospel. According to what he says here, how is the gospel to be defined? IT IS THE POWER OF God UNTO SALVATION TO EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES! That’s why you’re never to be ashamed when you share the good news with someone. No matter how they respond or react, always remember the gospel of God IS the power of God! It doesn’t just contain God’s power; it IS God’s power! Let that truth sink in for a moment.

If you’re standing in faith for God’s power to manifest in some way in your life today, get busy and start sharing the gospel with people in your areas of influence. That’s where the power is to be found, and so that’s where the power to help you will be found also. In Romans 10:17, it says faith comes by HEARING, and HEARING by the Word of God. Why? Because the gospel of God is the power of God unto... Unto what? Unto anything you need! Salvation, healing, prosperity, answers to prayer, spiritual counsel or guidance, deliverance, whatever! That’s why its called the GOSPEL! The word “gospel” means “good news!” As people hear it, faith gets deposited down inside their hearts, and when they release that faith through words and actions, God’s power goes to work. In order for you to receive the power of God, you have to know where its to be found first. God’s power for anything you need today is found in the announcement of good news! It’s the announcement that releases the power, so don’t be ashamed to announce and proclaim the gospel! Share it today. Share it often. Share it without apology! Jesus would. How about you?

SEPTEMBER 22 DAILY DEVOTIONAL
2 Corinthians 9:8 - DO YOU KNOW WHY GOD PROMISES TO PROSPER YOU?

Over the past 30 years or so, much has been taught about Divine prosperity. Some of what has been said is scriptural, most of it unscriptural. Because of that, many Christians have an erroneous understanding of prosperity, and don’t have the first clue as to WHY God promises prosperity in the Bible. Never forget this: PROSPERITY’S PURPOSE IS SOULWINNING; NOTHING ELSE! If you remember that, you’ll be able to avoid the deception that is rampant within Christian circles about the subject of prosperity. What did Paul say here to the Corinthians? That God wanted to bless them abundantly SO THAT they could abound in every good work of the ministry. This is not what many are preaching prosperity for. They just want you to line their pockets with your money, and they don’t mind mis-representing the scriptures to do it. Beware! Pray before you just give to anyone who is tugging on your emotional purse strings! There are many good churches and ministries doing their best to reach souls, but there are also many, many churches and ministries that are BAD GROUND to sow into.

It takes massive amounts of money to fulfill the Great Commission (Mark 16:15-20). That’s no problem for God, there’s plenty of money on earth to complete the task. But when Christians start hording money unto themselves, the whole process begins to break down and the only one left dancing is the devil! Much of what is preached as prosperity today isn’t prosperity at all. Its greed disguised as prosperity. You need to really take a hard look at how some preachers are living, and ask yourself if this is appropriate, given the fact that millions are lost, dying in their sins, and have no avenue in which to hear the life-saving gospel. Of course, God wants you to be blessed, and there’s nothing wrong with that, to a point! But how much is enough? How big a house does someone need to live in? How expensive a car does it need to be? When does it stop? As a missionary, I’ve devoted more than 25 years to labor amongst third-world people whose idea of prosperity is quite different than that in our country. In the Philippines, prosperity is many times just having enough to buy a bicycle! Someone will say: “Well, God can afford to be lavish with me! After all, He can afford it!” I’ve heard that for so long it nauseates me! Yes, God WANTS to lavishly bless us, but not so we can just lavishly heap possessions unto ourselves. We’re to be lavishly blessed so we can give lavishly to finance the work of ministry! That’s what prosperity is all about, not about how much I’m able to acquire, accumulate and possess in this life, but how much I’m able to channel into the work of reaching and changing lives, one life at a time!

Today is my Spiritual Birthday! I was born again at 1:30pm on 21 September, 1978. 48 years ago! What an honor to serve in God's army for these many years!

SEPTEMBER 21 DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Amos 9:13 - ITS TIME FOR ACCELERATED RETURNS IN YOUR LIFE!

We’re living in a time when time as we know it is running out. Because of this, God is more than ready to step up the timetable when it comes to the financial laws of sowing and reaping. That’s what this verse in Amos is referring to. It’s a prophetic reference to our day now, exhorting us to continue to give generously, EXPECTING a shorter and shorter time between the time we sow, and the time we reap. Why? Because time is running out, and much work still needs to be done evangelistically worldwide. Always remember that prosperity’s purpose is soul winning, nothing else! It takes money to win souls, and the more you have the more you can give, and the more we can get done to reach souls before Jesus returns. So as time in this age comes to a close, understand the time is coming, and I believe is upon us now, when the reaper will actually overtake the sower! Isn’t that a wonderful way to live!

How do you get into this kind of financial flow? Give as you have never given before! Never mind the gloomy economic forecasts, or the lies the enemy will whisper in your ear about what will happen to your finances if you give generously to God’s work. God’s system of finance is not controlled by, or dependent upon, anything in this world that is organized and controlled by men. Now of course He will USE those systems to bless us, but He’s not dependent upon them! All He requires is our commitment to a generous lifestyle, and once that has been established, the laws of sowing and reaping WILL work, no matter what things look like to the contrary. And as we give and sow our seeds, we have every right to expect God to speed up the whole process so that it will seem to us as if the reaper has indeed overtaken the sower! Imagine sowing your seeds to God and getting returns so fast you can’t hardly believe it! That’s what has been prophesied for our time, and for your life, if, you believe it, act on it in simple faith, and sow your seeds into the kingdom of God. Its time!

SEPTEMBER 20 DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Ecclesiastes 11:4 - LOOK AWAY FROM NEGATIVE ECONOMIC INDICATORS!

As we said in yesterday’s verse-a-day, sowing must ALWAYS precede reaping in the kingdom of God. And even though many Christians have heard the sermons which present that truth, very few of them actually put the laws into practice on a daily basis. They don’t tithe, and they don’t give offerings above their tithe. Why? Because they’re guilty of doing what this verse today talks about, observing the wind and storm clouds of life, and allowing what they see in the natural to influence their decision to give or not give to God. Listen, if you’re not willing to sow in the times of financial famine (Genesis 26:1-12), you’re not going to enjoy the rewards that God has promised to those who give generously as a way of life. If you give generously, especially in times of famine, when things look bad all around you, you’re telling God, the devil and your circumstances that you have faith in God’s word. Do you have that kind of faith? Prove it! The next time you’re facing the wall financially, what will you do with the resources at hand?

The longer you look at the wind and storm clouds on our financial horizon, the less likely you’ll be to sow the needed seeds which put the laws of sowing and reaping in operation for you. Instead of meditating on all the problems (real or perceived), spend time renewing your mind to God’s promises on the subject of prosperity. Be like Isaac, who sowed in a time of famine, and in the same year, reaped a 100-fold return on the seeds he sowed. The Bible says that AFTER he sowed seed in the time of famine, God BEGAN to bless him. What was God waiting for? For Isaac to plant his seed, in spite of the fact there was a severe famine in all the land! You see friend, your financial well-being is not up to God, it’s up to you! Your life, like everyone else’s, has ups and downs, good times and bad times in the natural. Develop the habit of sowing generously, no matter how threatening the storm clouds look like, or how strong the wind is against your face! When you do, you position yourself to reap a mighty harvest of God’s blessings! If Isaac can prove it in an Old Testament time of famine, you can prove it today in your life, no matter how negative your “economic indicators” may be!

SEPTEMBER 19 DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Psalms 126:5 - THE IMPORTANCE OF TEARFUL SOWING

If you study the Bible on the subject of prosperity, you will come to learn about the master law of sowing and reaping. There are many verses which address this spiritual law, but whichever one you chose to meditate on, the law itself remains the same. If you want to get more money from God, you have to give more money to God. That’s the way it works, for money, as well as anything else promised in God’s kingdom. Jesus said the whole kingdom of God (which would include your finances) is like men planting seeds in the ground (Mark 4:26). Any farmer will tell you, if you want a harvest, you have to plant seeds first. The planting always precedes the harvesting, and many times in life, the planting will have to be done in tears, when things aren’t as wonderful as we’d like them to be financially. Do you manage your finances with that truth in mind?

If you understand the truth about sowing and reaping, you’re going to have to learn the discipline of tearful sowing. What is that? Its sowing when it hurts. Or, giving when everything within you says you shouldn’t. Being generous when everybody says you’re stupid to do so. Tearful giving is a part of the lifestyle of generosity, and that’s the ONLY lifestyle God promises to bless in His word. God never promises to bless the cheapskate, the person who looks for ways to avoid giving at all costs. No, God says He will bless the generous soul, and make him “fat” (Proverbs 11:25/22:9). “Fat” means the generous soul is the one who walks in the blessings of God on a continual basis. And to get to that point, you’re going to have to learn to give when it doesn’t look like the wise thing to do in the natural. That’s tearful giving, but as the Psalmist says, those who do it in faith, trusting God, will no doubt enjoy the rewards of their decision. The verse after verse 5 says it this way: He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. (Psalms 126:6)! “Doubtless” means absolutely, without a shadow of a doubt! If you want that kind of promised security from God, learn to give with joy, with tears if necessary, by faith, knowing God is good for His word in your life!

SEPTEMBER 18 DAILY DEVOTIONAL
2 Corinthians 7:2 - MOVING ON: THE 6TH EXPRESSION OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY

When Paul wrote this letter, he exhorted the believers to receive him as one who had done no wrong to anyone. How can he say that, when he was the one in Acts who was guilty of persecuting the church so vehemently? Because he’s grown up spiritually, and learned the 6th expression of maturity, which is to move on from failure, and live in the light of God’s forgiveness and grace. Many believers need to learn to do the same thing today. They’re still living in the shadow of their past sins, mistakes and failures. This is an expression of spiritual immaturity and must be overcome before God can manifest Himself the way He wants to and promises to in the Bible. Have you confessed your sins? If so, let go of them and receive your forgiveness by faith, not by feelings. You’re not forgiven because you feel like it, but because God promised it in 1 John 1:9.

Many Christians labor and live under the devil’s condemnation because they allow him to convince them that God is through with them because of their sins or mistakes. That’s such a lie! Nothing could be further from the truth. Look at Paul as the classic example of this. In Philippians 3:13-15, he told us about his former conduct, and former sinful life. But he had enough sense to accept his forgiveness and move on from those past failures in confident assurance that God not only forgives but forgets! If God forgets your sins when you confess them to Him, why should you keep remembering them? Move on and get on with your life. You don’t have to wait to feel forgiven before you get forgiven. Forgiveness comes by faith, and faith is not a feeling. You aren’t forgiven when you feel it, you’re forgiven when you ask for it. From that point, the mature believer exercises the discipline needed to move on, and never let the devil bring condemnation over sins already confessed and forgiven. No matter what you’ve done in the past, receive your forgiveness and move on! You’ll never become spiritually mature until you learn to do this.

SEPTEMBER 17 DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Colossians 3:16-17 - WHO ARE YOU SERVING TODAY?

The 5th expression of spiritual maturity is the ability to work for the Lord, and never mind how men receive you, or appreciate you when you attempt to minister to them in the Name of the Lord. I call it being unappreciated and loving it! Meaning to say; when you reach out and try to help people as a Christian, you’re doing it for the Lord and no other. Therefore, whether people love you or hate you, it doesn’t matter because you know the Lord will judge fairly one day, and you’re deeds of love and obedience will not go unnoticed or unrewarded by the Lord (Hebrews 6:10). Knowing that should elevate you to a level of operation that insulates you from the responses of the people.

Don’t worry about how people “receive” you or not. Don’t worry about their “response” to your efforts to love them in Jesus’ Name. Remember, you’re working for the Lord, so if He’s satisfied with you, it doesn’t matter if anyone else is or not. In Colossians 3:23,24, Paul reminded the believers about this. We do what we do for the Lord and not for men, KNOWING that from the Lord we’ll received the promised rewards. That’s what most believers don’t know, and that’s why they have problems continuing to offer help to those they think don’t appreciate their efforts. It’s the same principle Jesus mentioned in Luke 6:32-35. Its not hard to love those who love you. It’s much harder to love those who don’t appreciate the love! But that’s exactly what the mature are asked to do as we live to serve Jesus. Do you measure your kindness based upon the response of those you’re reaching out to? Be like Jesus and live to find His pleasure in your obedience to Him, and nothing else!

SEPTEMBER 16 DAILY DEVOTIONAL
Galatians 1:10 - THE 5TH EXPRESSION OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY: BEING UNAPPRECIATED, AND LOVING IT!

Paul said he was serving God, not men. In Galatians 2:20, he said that he no longer had a life, but Christ was now living His life through him. This kind of mentality reveals the fifth way to express spiritual maturity. Being unappreciated and loving every minute of it! In 2 Corinthians 12:15, Paul told the Corinthians that the more he loved them, the less they appreciated his love. But earlier in the same letter, he also said the love of God “compelled” him towards these ungrateful people (2 Corinthians 5:14). That simply means he would keep on loving them, whether they appreciated it or not. Most believers today don’t practice that kind of mindset. They don’t mind helping others, as long as those they help express an appropriate measure of gratitude in return. However, if no gratitude is expressed, most Christians move on and with indignation, declare those ingrates to be “unworthy” of time and attention.

But spiritually mature people act differently to those who don’t express appreciation or gratitude. Why? Because they do what they do for the Lord’s approval, not for man’s approval. It’s difficult to love people who take advantage of you, but the spiritually mature can do it if God asks them to. Yes, the Bible says we’re not to throw our pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6), but many believers use that verse as an excuse to withdraw their love from ungrateful people, never bothering to ask God about it first. If God tells you to cease in your attempts to reach out to someone who doesn’t care, then by all means obey God. But you’ll find in many cases, God is much more willing for the effort to continue rather than for it to cease. And if you’re doing what you’re doing for Jesus and not for men, this won’t be a problem for you. Once you settle it in your head that you’re reaching out because you’re serving Jesus and no other, the response won’t matter anymore. If they appreciate you, fine, but if they don’t, that’s fine too! For the mature believer, it’s enough to know God sees it all, and will one day give rewards to those who did their work as unto the Lord, and not as unto the response of men.